The erosion of shorelines as a consequence of wave action is a well-known phenomenon. Generally, erosion is a function of persistent wave action exerted on beaches comprising sand or fine-shingled material and is most frequently encountered along shorelines of large bodies of water where such wave action can be generated. As a consequence of this persistent wave action, material on the shore tends to be loosened and the continuous reciprocating movement along the shoreline causes such materials to generally erode. The problems of erosion are emphasized along exceptionally long shorelines where the phenomena of littoral drift is enhanced. In those situations, devices such as breakwaters and revetments tend to increase downstream erosion.
In an attempt to combat shoreline erosion, many municipalities have resorted to dredging sand from outlying portions of the body of water and depositing the sand on the beach. The dredging process is generally very expensive and serves only as a temporary solution to the problem as the shore is gradually and continually eroded. Moreover, dredging sand from the floor beneath the body of water creates other environmental concerns such as damage to marine life which inhabit the sea floor.
Other devices for controlling erosion along shorelines have been proposed in the form of barriers positioned along the shoreline, or at a distance in the water spaced from the shoreline, to dissipate wave action. However, many of these devices do not aid in building beach behind the barrier structures, and some actually cause increased erosion in front of the barrier structures. To address this problem, some devices have been configured to facilitate the deposition of sand on the beach behind the barrier structures. A large majority of these devices are formed from concrete material and are therefore susceptible to wear and erosion by the natural wave action they are intended to combat. Accordingly, these structures usually become cracked, eroded, or otherwise damaged over the course of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,006 to Payne is directed to an erosion control system which, in one embodiment, comprises modular, hollow units. The hollow units may be filled with water to add sufficient weight to moor the system on the beach. Several of the modular units are coupled together with tie rods to form a barrier structure for combating erosion.
Accordingly, despite the various proposed devices and methods for controlling erosion along shorelines, no one method or device has been widely accepted, and the control of erosion along shorelines continues to be a topic of intensive research. A need therefore exists for an erosion control barrier which addresses these and other drawbacks of the prior art.